Beginnings

Posted March 6, 2012

This week it’s all about beginnings, with our celebrity guest IU Assistant Professor of Music Kyle Adams.

EG’s Got A Brand New Bag (Of Tricks!)

WFIU’s music trivia program Ether Game moves into its 42nd year on the air this week!

Ether Game began in 1970 as a drop-the-needle program of music tied to a central theme. It wasn’t until the early 80s that listeners were invited to call in their answers, and the current show began to take shape.

Over the years, Ether Game has seen a variety of changes, going from one to two hosts, time slots shifts, and the popular “Ether Bowl” competition of the 80s and 90s. This month, Ether Game takes another step forward, into the 21st century.

Here’s how to play

For the veteran “gamer,” the program will remain essentially the same. Listeners will be asked to identify a musical selection and an optional bonus question during each round, all related to that week’s theme. And their “tasteful pseudonym” will be read over the air when they answer correctly. If a player isn’t quite sure of the answer, our helpful phone volunteers (a.k.a. “the Brain Trust”) will be waiting to guide them with a selection of hints. To level the playing field, each player may receive up to three hints per selection.

A new scoring system has been put in place to reward those players who use the fewest hints, with each hint costing a player one point in that round. Answer without any help and receive a total of four points. Use all three hints and still come up blank — zero points. And that bonus question? That’ll net you an additional point per round.

The dreaded “Super Stumper” remains central to the gameplay as well. Guess this extremely difficult selection without the aid of the Brain Trust, and you’ll be rewarded with 10 points in the game. At the end of the game, the player with the most points will take home a special prize chosen from the Ether Game prize vault.

Another exciting addition to the program is a short Wait Wait… don’t tell me! style music trivia quiz with a local or visiting celebrity guest. Upcoming guests include conductor Sue Swaney, “Rock ‘n Roll Librarian” Kid Kazooey, singer-songwriter Jenn Christy, and Cardinal Stage Company artistic director, Randy White.

Ether Game will condense the musical fun and frustration into a new one-hour syndicatable format at 8 p.m. on Tuesday nights beginning March 6th.

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